Vehicle hopper discharge control



June 9, 1959 J. A. JOHNSON 2,889,963

VEHICLE HOPPER DISCHARGE CONTROL Fiied Aug. 24, 1954 22 INVENTOR F1 GL Jul/N A. Jo i/V50 BY L ZTTORNE'Y United States Patent VEHICLE HOPPER DISCHARGE-CONTROL John Johnson, Short Hills, N.J., vassignor to ACE Industries, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 24, 1954, Serial No. 451,887 14 Claims. (Cl. 222-185) This invention relates to vehicle hoppers and their discharge and is concerned primarily with the outlet valve for controlling thedisoharge from the hopper.

Hopper cars, particularly railway'hopper cars are subjected to excessive vibration during travel with result that the lading :becomes compacted and hard to discharge at its destination. The bulk of railway hopper cars are equipped with slide gates, but these are hard to seal and the slides become contaminated, canying dirt into the discharging lading. Also, since the slide moves transversely of the hopper the lading is not disturbed and frequently will not discharge without use of agitators, Conventional butterfly type valves cannot be used since they must cut through the packed lading.

It is an object, therefore, of the present invention to provide a railway hopper with a discharge outlet valve whichlelfectivelyseals against loss of lading.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a hopper discharge valve which will agitate or break-up the 'lading prior to movement of .the valve to open position.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of -a hopper discharge valve that may he changed at will from a flat shape to a generally hemispherical shape.

A yet further object of the invention is the provision of a hopper discharge controlled by a butterfly type valve having a part thereof that displaces the lading from the path of movement of the valve.

- These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from a study of the following description and accompanying drawings in which: i

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of a railway car of the hopper type having the improved valve applied thereto.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view similar to "Fig. 2, but showing the valve in the inflated or hemispherical form.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. .2 to better show the pivot, operating handle, fluid pressure supply means and Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail it will be seen that the railway car is formed of end walls 2, side walls 4 and sloping floor plates 6 which converge downwardly and are joined to the upper sloping sides 8 of a hopper discharge outlet 9?. The car is preferably equipped with a roof 10 and the entire assembly is adapted to move over the rails by customary flanged wheels W.

The hopper outlet frame is generally circular in form with the upper flared flange 8, vertical central part 12 which is provided intermediate its ends with an outstandjng flange 14. This flange is adapted to receivea cap 16 held in place by bolts or other means 18. As shown, the cap is provided with an internal flange 20 adapted with the cap to form a weather-proof seal receiving the extension of the central outlet portion. The cap 16 is adapted to be removed for discharge of lading and the flanges 14 will then receive a boot or other means for conducting the lading from the car to the receiving point.

The valve for controlling discharge of lading is formed by a tubular frame 22 bent to circular shape and having welded to one side thereof a flat imperforate plate 24 the frame and plate together constituting a rigid imperforate valve body 25 Securely welded to the tubular frame and flat plate is a transverse tube 26 extending beyond the frame to form pivot mounts receivable in bearings 28 attached to the circular central portion 512 of the outlet frame. Also, for purposes of stiifening-the plate '24 other tubular means 30 extend at right angles to the pivot tube above the plate while a stiifeningplate 32 is welded or otherwise secured to plate 24 on the side thereof opposite the tubular frame. Asclearly shown in Fig. 4, one end of the pivot tube 26 is extended through the bearing and has welded thereto an operating handle H. Also, an air or other fluid connection is attached to the pivot tube and in the present instance comprises a check valve 34 adapted to receive a hose or other means connected to a source of fluid pressure whereby fluid under pressure may be introduced into the pivot tube 26. Fluid is vented from the tube '26 by unseating the check valve in any suitable manner, such as is done in deflating the inner tube of an automobile tire. In order that the fluid may escape from or enter tube 26 openings 36 are provided adjacent plate 24. As clearly shown, elastic material 4%) expandable and substantially impervious to air, overlaps the tubular frame on the side opposite from the plate 24 and is bent around-theframe so that its free edges can be directly attached to the plate by means of a pressure ring 44 andsecuring-devices such as bolts 46 having their heads welded or otherwise secured to the plate 24-. In this manner a closed and substantially airtight and expandable chamber 47 is'formed by the plate 24 and the elastic member 40. The words impervious to air and airtight are tobe understood as indicating not only materials and structures of maximum airtightness but also those affording restricted perviability to the passage of air, and not excluding a structure formed with forarninations or of forarninated material, provided only that the structure be inflatable by air or other fluid under pressure.

As clearly shown in Fig. 2 by full lines, the elastic member closely hugs and engages the inner surface of the hopper outlet wall 12 and sealsthe valve againstleakage of lading. When fluid under pressure is introduced to check valve '34 the elastic material 44 will stretch and assume the 'line and dash position of Fig. 2 which is also the full line position of Fig. 3. In this form the valve is generally hemispherical in shape and the lading'L is displaced upwardly out of the path of the valve so that the valve may be rotated .to the open position. After assuming the open position ,as shown by broken lines in Fig. 2, the fluid will be released and a full opening obtained on both sides of the then vertically disposed valve. When the elastic material is stretched and the valve ;assumes the generally hemispherical form, the material between tubular frame 22 and outlet wall 12 is decreased in thickness, as shown in Fig. 3, effectively breaking the seal.

As shown, the valve may be alternately inflated and deflated to agitate the material or may be simply inflated for turning so as to move the lading out of the path of valve movement and following the opening of the valve it may the deflated or left in any condition of intermediate inflation to assist in control of the flow of lading. In other Words, the valve when in normal transit or in full open or closed position is normally of disk form, but for agitation of the lading or for return to open position it will be placed in a generally hemispherical shape to clear the lading out of the path of the rotating valve.

While the invention has been described more or less in detail, with particular reference to the figures showing one particular form thereof, it will be apparent to persons skilled in the art that various modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vehicle for transporting loose granular flowable lading having end walls, side walls, sloping floor plates defining an open bottom hopper, and an outlet frame secured to the floor plates forming an outlet opening in the hopper bottom toward which the lading will flow, a valve comprising a substantially rigid valve frame pivoted in the outlet frame and rotatable from a closed position blocking flow of lading to an open position permitting flow of lading, flexible material at least partially covering the valve frame and connected thereto and of suflicient thickness at its edges to seal against the outlet frame when the valve is in closed position, and means to shift the flexible material independent of valve movement to displace the lading and break the seal whereby said valve may be rotated to an open position.

2. In a vehicle for transporting loose granular flowable lading having end walls, side walls, sloping floor plates defining an open bottom hopper, and an outlet frame secured to the floor plates forming an outlet opening in the hopper bottom toward which the lading will flow, a valve comprising a substantially rigid and imperforate valve body pivoted in the outlet frame and rotatable from a closed position blocking flow of lading to an open position permitting flow of lading, elastic material substantially impervious to air at least partially covering the valve body and joined to the frame to form a chamber therewith and being of suflicient thickness at its edges to seal against the outlet frame when the valve is in closed position, and means to introduce fluid into the chamber between the valve body and elastic material to stretch the material thereby decreasing its edge thickness and breaking the seal with the outlet frame.

3. The structure of' claim 2 characterized in that stretching of said elastic material displaces the lading in the path of movement of the valve body prior to its movement from closed to open position.

4. In a vehicle for transporting loose granular flowable lading having end walls, side walls, sloping floor plates defining an open bottom hopper, and an outlet frame secured to the floor plates forming an outlet opening in the hopper bottom toward which the lading will flow, a valve comprising a substantially rigid and imperforate valve body pivoted in the outlet frame and rotatable from a closed position blocking flow of lading to an open position permitting flow of lading, elastic and substantially air impervious material covering the top surface and edges of the valve body and secured thereto to form a chamber therewith and of suflicient thickness at its edges to seal against the outlet frame when the valve is in closed position, and means to supply fiuid under pressure to the chamber between the valve body and elastic material to thereby stretch the material and break the seal with the outlet frame.

5. The structure of claim 4 characterized in that said valve body and attached elastic material is substantially disk-shaped when in normal closed or open position and is of hemispherical form when pressure is supplied to stretch the material prior to movement from closed to open position.

6. The structure of claim 4 characterized in that said valve when under pressure of fluid assumes a hemispherical form displacing the lading from the path of move ment of the valve body during movement from closed to open position.

7. A valve means for controlling discharge of loose granular flowable lading from a hopper comprising, a rigid and imperforate body, elastic and substantially airtight material at least partially covering the body and secured thereto at its edges and forming a chamber therewith, pivot means for mounting said body on the hopper for movement from closed to open position, and means to supply fluid under pressure through said pivot means to the chamber to stretch said elastic materialprior to movement of the valve from closed to open position.

8. Butterfly valve means for controlling discharge of flowable lading from a hopper outlet, said valve means comprising a frame, an imperforate plate secured to one side of the frame, pivot means secured to the frame and mounting the same in said outlet so as to close and open said outlet in known manner, elastic substantially airtight material overlapping the top side of the frame and being bent around the frame and secured to said plate to form a closed chamber therewith, and means to admit fluid under pressure to the chamber between said plate and elastic material to form therewith a closed, expandable chamber, to stretch said elastic material and displace lading upwardly so that said frame may be free to pivot.

9. The structure of claim 8 characterized in that said last named means includes the pivot means.

10. The structure of claim 8 characterized in that said frame is circular and together with said elastic material forms a hemispherical valve when fluid under pressure is introduced between the plate and elastic material.

11. In a vehicle for transporting loose granular flow able lading comprising, end walls, side walls, sloping floor plates defining an open bottom hopper, and an outlet frame secured to the floor plates forming an outlet opening in the hopper bottom toward which the lading will flow, a valve pivoted in the outlet and rotatable from closed to open position to control the flow of lading, said valve being preselectively changeable independent of movement thereof from disk form to generally hemispherical form to thereby displace the lading upwardly and control the flow thereof.

12. In a vehicle for transporting loose granular flowable lading comprising, end Walls, side Walls, sloping floor plates defining an open bottom hopper, and an outlet frame secured to the floor plates forming an outlet opening in the hopper bottom toward which the lading will flow, a valve located in the outlet and movable from closed to open position to control the flow of lading, said valve including a rigid part and an expandable part, and means to preselectively change the valve from a disk form to a generally hemispherical form to thereby displace the lading upwardly prior to moving the valve and to control the flow of lading.

13. Valve means for controlling gravity discharge of flowable lading from a hopper outlet, said valve means comprising a substantially rigid and imperforate member pivotally mounted in said outlet so as to close and open said outlet in known manner, a flexible, expandable and substantially airtight member connected to said rigid member and overlapping at least a portion of the top side thereof when said rigid member is in closed position and constituting together with said rigid member a substantially airtight generally hemispherical shaped expandable chamber, and means to admit fluid under pressure to said chamber whereby to expand said chamber upwardly from said rigid member and displace lading upwardly thereby gaining access for said rigid member to pivot in said outlet.

14. Valve means for controlling gravity discharge of flowable lading from a hopper outlet, said valve means comprising a substantially rigid and imperforate member pivotally mounted in said outlet so as to close and open said outlet in known manner, said member being substantially horizontally disposed when in closed position, a flexible, expandable and substantially airtight member connected to said n'gid member and overlapping at least a portion of the top side thereof when said rigid member is in closed position and constituting together with said rigid member a substantially airtight generally hemispherical shaped expandable chamber, and means to admit fluid under pressure to said chamber whereby to expand said chamber upwardly from said rigid member and displace 'lading upwardly thereby gaining access for said rigid member to pivot in said outlet.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,654,050 Page Dec. 27, 1927 2,616,758 Meyers Nov. 4, 1952 2,638,254 Heltzel May 12, 1953 2,732,099 Davis Jan. 24, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 151,541 Germany Nov. 25, 1937 

